(Original post by cowsforsale)
We thought you said squatting heavy 3 times a week on SS was too hard which is why you moved on to ws4sb?

Madcows has high, low and med intensity days in that order a week.

Ah yeah, sorry I'm being a bit special this morning! I hadn't looked at Madcows, only Stronglifts 5x5, so wasn't aware of the high/med/low intensity.

I may give madcows a try, but I'm worried that I haven't given ws4sb long enough to produce results, particularly considering the fact that I'm aware that results will take longer due to my football etc.

(Original post by AdaD)
Ah yeah, sorry I'm being a bit special this morning! I hadn't looked at Madcows, only Stronglifts 5x5, so wasn't aware of the high/med/low intensity.

I may give madcows a try, but I'm worried that I haven't given ws4sb long enough to produce results, particularly considering the fact that I'm aware that results will take longer due to my football etc.

Up to you, you've been running ws4sb for 4 weeks...Any stronger? Maybe you could run it for another 2 months if you're willing

(Original post by AdaD)
There have been some improvements, but maybe not as many as I'd expect after 5-6 weeks. Perhaps that's down to me finding out my limits and not pushing myself hard enough in the first 2-3 weeks.

I may start madcows today and see how I get on with the leg recovery etc. Don't know until I try, and can always switch back to ws4sb until the football season ends, if I feel it's necessary.

Remember for madcows that you're starting relatively light for the first 4 weeks (just to get into the groove) before you start smashing PBs. Underestimating your 5rm is way better than over estimating.

DOn't do what i did and dive right in with heavy weights lol...failed once on my squat and bench i think,,,cannae mind. But yea, totally up to you, both routines have their pros and cons.

(Original post by cowsforsale)
Remember for madcows that you're starting relatively light for the first 4 weeks (just to get into the groove) before you start smashing PBs. Underestimating your 5rm is way better than over estimating.

DOn't do what i did and dive right in with heavy weights lol...failed once on my squat and bench i think,,,cannae mind. But yea, totally up to you, both routines have their pros and cons.

That may work out quite well then, it'll be a month closer to the end of the footy season by the time things start to get heavier.

I may have done in the past, but not now. Having done more research and seen some bicep/curlz boys in the gym (one in particular 'benching' 80kg but moving the bar about an inch for 6 reps!), I'm well aware that safe results aren't instant! Oh, and according to another bencher "doing really light weight for, like, 20 reps goes deeper into the muscle and gives a really good tone", so I may even adopt his method of starting high for 2 reps and working all the way down the weight spectrum!

I guess I've got to get over the fact that I'll be frowned upon for standing in the squat rack for 15 minutes doing weights such as 30kg, 38kg etc.

I think I know the answer to this, but I'll ask anyway. Is the smith machine adequate for incline bench? I ask because the squat rack is the only place to do incline, apart from the two smiths, in my gym and not always feasible (spare benches not free etc).

I guess I've got to get over the fact that I'll be frowned upon for standing in the squat rack for 15 minutes doing weights such as 30kg, 38kg etc.

I think I know the answer to this, but I'll ask anyway. Is the smith machine adequate for incline bench? I ask because the squat rack is the only place to do incline, apart from the two smiths, in my gym and not always feasible (spare benches not free etc).

got to do what you got to do eh...looks about right tho.....your 5rm should be on week four and it goes 2.5% down each workout prior to that. you can do smaller increments tho if you want for that BURN! like 40 45, 50, 55, 60. totally up to you.

Just going to feel like a tool standing in the squat rack squatting 30kgs! Will probably have someone wanting to squat 100kg thinking that I've got no idea what the hell I'm doing! Ah well, at least I'll know that that's not the case!

Decided to give Madcow's a go. Frustratingly easy start, but this was expected. Although the heavier rows weren't as easy as the others. I know it's probably not a great idea, but I'm still going to do Max upper of WS4SB tomorrow as I have not decided 100% whether I am going to switch to Madcow's now or at end of footy season. It's still light so don't think tomorrow's workout will impact Day 2 too much.

Not great figures. Still deciding between continuing ws4sb and doing madcows. The first few weeks of madcows is so easy, it seems like i'm not actually doing any gym work - the first session was done in 20 - 25 mins. Hmmmm

Was going to do Week 1 day 2 of madcows as well but people were benching and curling in the one and only squat rack, for half an hour. Got to get them bicepz and pecz pumped. The 2 bench press areas and 2 smith machines are clearly not enough. Also, curling 30-40kg? The fixed weight BB's go up to 45, go and ******* well do it upstairs.

I *think* I'm going to continue with WS4SB until the football season ends in April/May, and then run SS or Madcows. I may run Madcows alongside westside for a few weeks, substituting one of the lower days, whilst the lifts are low. I don't think this will be too much of an issue and will mean that things will be getting heavier come end of football season.

(Original post by AdaD)
I *think* I'm going to continue with WS4SB until the football season ends in April/May, and then run SS or Madcows. I may run Madcows alongside westside for a few weeks, substituting one of the lower days, whilst the lifts are low. I don't think this will be too much of an issue and will mean that things will be getting heavier come end of football season.